Can seaming machine



May 15, 1934. F. w. BURPEE CAN SEAMING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 25, 1953 Frank UI rBump Samar@ T19. E. L15

May 15, 1934. F w BURPEE 1,959,018-

CAN SEAMING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @/y 9X@ @7% 6M Jada@ Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT orgies CAN SEAMIN G MACHINE poration of Illinois Application August 25,

12 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of can seaming machines and has reference more particularly to an improved can chucking and turning mechanism for such machines. The machine of the present invention relates to a type of hand seamer shown in my former Patent No. 1,486,225 granted March 1l, 1924, characterized by the provision of a plurality of can holding chucks of different diameters adapted to operate on relatively large and small cans, the different size chucks being movable into and out of engagemen with the cooperating seaming rolls.

In my Letters Patent aforesaid two complete pairs of differential upper and lower chucks are disclosed revolubly mounted on an upright post or column so that, by a turning movement of 180, one pair of chucks can be shifted out of service position and the other pair simultaneously shifted into service position.

The general object of the present invention is to simplify and improve the structure of the said patent, and one feature of improvement resides in the elimination of one of the lower chucks, the remaining lower chuck, in cooperation with a suitable adapter, serving the functions of the two separate lower chucks. Also, in the aforesaid patent the drive pinion occupies a fixed position on the frame, and this necessitates the employment of driven gears on the upper chucks of '30 different diameters, due to the fact that the axes of the two chucks which carry the gears are at diiferent radial distances from the axis of rotation of the chuck carrier. Another feature of improvement embodied in the present invention resides in the employment of a bodily shiftable drive pinion which can readily be made to cooperate with chuck gears of equal or different diameters.

Still other features of improvement will be-` come apparent as the description proceeds, in

connection with the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated a practical and improved embodiment of the invention, and wherein- Fig. l is a side elevation of the machine showing the smaller of the two driven chucks in working position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the shiftable drive pinion, its bearing member and crank moved to one side to admit the larger chuck to 5o working position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2, with the drive pinion, its bearing member and crank returned to and locked in working position.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the lineV 1933, Serial No. 686,831

axis of the lower chuck and also the lifting mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of the machine, showing the position occupied by the drive pinion and its bearing member when the larger chuck occupies the working position shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the machine employs a generally rectangular frame comprising a base bar 10, spaced uprights 11 and 12, on said base bar, and a connecting bar 13 rigidly spacing the upper ends of the uprights 11 and 12. Revolubly mounted on the upper shouldered end of the upright 12 is a chuck carrier formedwith oppositely extending arms 14 and 15 directly beneath and parallel with the connecting bar 13. Pivotally mounted in the end portions of the arms 14 and 15 are upper chucks 16 and 17 respectively, the former being of a lesser diameter than the latter. The peripheral edges of these chucks are, as usual in machines of this type, formed to engage the inner side of the recess of the can cover adjacent to the beading edge, and are knurled to effect a driving hold on the can cover when the latter is pressed upwardly into engagement with the chuck. Rigidly secured on the upper sides of the chucks 16 and 17 are bevel gears 18 and 19 respectively.

The arms 14 and 15 of the chuck carrier are formed with holes 20 and 21 adapted to engage with a locking pin 22 that is slidably mounted in the connecting bar 13, so as to securely look said arms to the frame when brought into working position.

Describing the means for rotating the chucks 16 and 17 when engaged by a can cover to be seamed to the can, 23 designates a bearing block that is both pivotally and slidably mounted on the connecting bar 13 by means of a slot 24 in one end of said bar straddling a screw threaded stud 25 mounted in the bar 13, and normally clamped on the bar 13 by a nut 26. In the other end ofthe block 23 are a pair of countersunk holes 27 and 28, both formed continuous with an underlying slot 29 extending across the lower edge of the block 13. These holes 27 and 28 are adapted to be engaged by the head 30 of a clamp bolt 31 (Fig. 3) that extends through the connecting bar 13 and is equipped on its rear threaded end with a wing nut 32.

Continuous with the lower side of the bearing block 23 and forming a part thereof is an ear 23 (Fig. 5) in which is mounted a short shaft 33 having rotatable thereon a drive pinion 34 that drives whichever of the gears 18 and 19 357i has a hub 41 slidable on the post 39. Continuous has been brought into cooperation with it, the hub of the pinion 34 being equipped with the usual crank arm 35 and handle 36.

Assume that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein the smaller chuck 16 is in working position relatively to the seaming rolls, and that it is desired to seal cans of a size fitting the larger chuck 17. The nut 26 is loosened, the wing nut 32. is backed part way orf the bolt 31 and the latter may be pushed forwardly suiilciently to carry its head 30 out of engagement with the countersunk hole 28.

The bearing block 13 carrying the drive pinion and its crank can then be raised and swung up wardly and backwardly through an arc of 180 to the position shown in Fig. 2, wherein its free end comes to rest on the forward edge portion of a segment plate 58 hereinafter referred to. The locking pin 22 is then pulled upwardly` to free the arm 14, and the chuck carrier is rotated through an arc of 180, reversing the positions of the arms 14 and 15 and their chucks 16 and 17, as shown in Fig. 2. The bearing block and pinion are then returned to normal position shown in Fig. 5, the block being also adjusted endwise to a position in which the hole 27 registers with the head 30 of the clamp bolt 31, and the nuts 26 and 32 are then tightened up. This endwise adjustment of the bearing block 23 is necessary by reason of the fact that the axis of rotation of the chuck 17 lies nearer the axis of rotation of the chuck carrier than does the axis of the chuck 16.

'Mounted on the base bar 10 is a slide 38, secured on which is a post 39. A lower chuck 40 With the lower end of the hub 41 is a cam 42 adapted to be engaged by cross pin 43 in the post 39. On the cam 42 is a handle 44 by which the cam is rotated to thereby, through cooperation with the pin 43, raise or lower the chuck 40. The slide 38 is normally locked stationary relatively to the base 10 by a machine screw 45 extending through a slot 46 in the slide (Fig.

Y 4) and screwed into the base 10.

rIhe other slightly raised end of the slide 38 rests on one of a pair of clamp brackets 47 by which the machine is mounted on a table or bench 48, and is equipped with a pair of upstanding lugs 49, between which operates an eccentric cam 50 iast on the lower end of a sleeve 51 that is rotatable on the upright 12 and at its upper end is secured to the chuck carrier.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the chuck carrier is rotated, the slide 38 will be simultaneously shifted endwise to carry the axis of the lower chuck 40v into registry with the axis of whichever chuck 16 or 17 is in working position. The chuck plate 40 is of proper diameter to engage with the shallow recess in the bottom of the can body. When operating on the smaller diameter can, the chuck 40 is covered by an adapter 40 (Fig. 1) formed with a low cam-engaging head 52 that ts the smaller can.

The primary and secondary seaming rollers 53 and 54 and a cutting roller 55 and their mounting 56 and operating handle 57 are or may be substantially identical with the same elements as disclosed in my Patent No. 1,486,225. A suitablel stop mechanism limiting the movement of the rollers 53, 54 and 55 to their full working positions comprises, as herein shown, the segment plate 58 (Fig. 3) formed with an arcuate slot 59 cooperating with a spring pressed.

pin 60 to limit the swing of the rollers 53 and same pin to limit the swing of the cutting roller 55.

I claim:

1. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination with a suitable frame, of a plurality of rotatable upper chucks of diiierent diameters carried by said frame each bodily movable into and out of position to cooperate with can seaming means, a rotatable lower chuck carried by said frame, means for shifting said lower' chuck into axial alinement with any of said upper chucks in the working position of the latter, and means for rotating said upper chucks.

2. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination with a suitable frame, of a rotatable chuck carrier mounted on said frame, upper chucks of dinerent diameters, rotatably mounted on said carrier at -different distances from the axis of rotation of said carrier, a rotatable lower chuck carried by said frame, means for shifting said lower chuck laterally into axial alinement with any of said upper chucks in the working position of the latter, and means for rotating said upper chucks.

3'. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination with a suitable frame, of a rotatable chuck carrier mounted on said frame, upper chucks of different diameters rotatably mounted on said carrier at diierent distances from the axis of rotation of said carrier, gears for driving the respective chucks, a rotatable lower chuck carried by said frame, means for shifting said lower chuck laterally into axial alinement with any of said upper chucks, in the working position of the latter, and a bodily shiftable drive pinion movable into engagement with any of said gears in the working position of its associated chuck.

4. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination with a suitable frame, of a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said frame formed with radially extending arms, chucks of diierent diameters pivotally mounted respectively on said arms at different distances from the axis of rotation of said chuck carrier, gears for driving the respective chucks, means for locking any of said arms to an element of said frame, and a bodily shiitable drive pinion engageable with any of said gears.

5. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination with a suitable frame including an upright member, of a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said upright member formed with radially extending arms, chucks of different diameters pivotally mounted respectively on said arms at different distances from the axis of rotation of said chuck carrier, gears for driving the respective chucks, means for locking any of said arms to an element of said frame, and a bodily shiftable drive pinion engageable with any of said gears.

6. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination of a frame including a top bar, a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said frame formed with radially extending arms, chucks of different diameters pivotally mounted respectively on said arms at different distances from the axis of rotation of said chuck carrier, gears for driving the respective chucks, a locking pin on said top bar cooperating with anyA of said arms to lock the same in fixed position relatively to said top bar, a bearing block slidably mounted on said top bar,

a drive pinion journaled on said block, and means for locking said block in any of a plurality of positions permitting engagement of said pinion with said gears.

7. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination of a frame including a base and a top bar, a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said frame formed with radially extending arms, upper chucks of different diameters pivotally mounted respectively on said arms, gears for driving said chucks, means for locking any of said arms to an element of said frame, a bodily adjustable slide mounted on said base, a lower chuck journaled on said slide, means for raising said lower chuck, and a bodily shiftable drive pinion engageable with any of said gears.

8. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination of a frame including a base and a top bar, a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said frame formed with radially extending arms, upper chucks of different diameters pivotally mounted respectively on said arms, gears for driving said chucks, means for locking any of said arms to an element of said frame, a bodily adjustable slide mounted on said base, a lower chuck journaled on said slide, means for raising said lower chuck, a bodily shiftable bearing block mounted on said top bar, means for locking said block in any shifted position, and a drive pinion journaled on said block.

9. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination of a frame including a base and a top bar, a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said frame formed with radially extending arms, upper chucks of diierent diameters pivotally mounted respectively on said arms, gears for driving said chucks, means for locking any of said arms to an element of said frame, a bodily adjustable slide mounted on said base, a lower chuck journaled on said slide, means for raising said lower chuck, a bearing block pivotally and slidably mounted on said top bar, a clamp bolt mounted in said top bar and engageable with said block in any shifted position of the latter, and a drive pinion journaled on said block.

10. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination of a frame including a base and a top bar, a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said frame formed with radially extending arms, upper chucks of different diameters pivotally mounted respectively on said arms, gears for driving said chucks, means for locking any of said arms to an element of said frame, a bodily shiftable drive pinion engageable with any of said gears, a slide mounted on said base, a lower chuck journaled on said slide, and connections between said chuck carrier and said slide operating to shift the latter simultaneously with a turning movement of said chuck carrier.

11. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination of a frame including a base and a top bar, a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said frame formed with oppositely extending arms, upper chucks of different diameters pivotally mounted for respectively on said arms, gears for driving said chucks, means for locking either of said arms to an element of said frame, a bodily shiftable drive pinion engageable with either of said gears, a slide mounted on said base, a lower chuck journaled on said slide, means carried by said slide for raising said lower chuck, and connections between said chuck carrier and said slide operating to shift the latter simultaneously with a turning movement of said chuck carrier.

l2. In a can chucking and turning mechanism for can seaming machines, the combination of a frame including a base, an upright member and a top bar, a chuck carrier pivotally mounted on said upright member formed with radially eX- tending arms, upper chucks of different diameters pivotally mounted respectively on said arms, gears for driving said chucks, means for locking any of said arms -to an element of said frame, a bodily shiftable drive pinion engageable with any of said gears, a slide mounted on said base, a lower chuck journaled on said slide, a sleeve rotatable on said upright and fast with said chuck carrier, and a cam on said sleeve engaged with said slide.

FRANK W. BURPEE. 

